


She Had A Marvelous Time Ruining Everything

by rosiespinky (Janyolski)



Category: BLACKPINK (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F, Fake/Pretend Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-08
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:22:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25791304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Janyolski/pseuds/rosiespinky
Summary: “Rosie, we can post some vague caption… and then let the fans run with it... and then, like, come out with a statement later, like... saying we were just best friends, y’know, clowning around… and like, having a little shemance... or whatever the equivalent of, like, a girl bromance is... for girls.”Lisa says all of that from her spot on the floor, a little slowly while slightly slurring her words. She’s looking up at her best friend with the stupidest lopsided smile on her face, all bunched up cheeks,  and teeth.Rosie just looks at her for a while, looks at how insane and dumb Lisa looks. And then she bursts out laughing.“Just for fun, right?”Lisa nods.OR Lisa and Rosie are two A-list celebrities who get drunk and decide to pull a prank. They post a photo on instagram and pretend they just got engaged.
Relationships: Lalisa Manoban | Lisa/Park Chaeyoung | Rosé
Comments: 28
Kudos: 275





	1. She said yes:)

**Author's Note:**

> Mira's idea from Lisa's IG post. Go tell her she's brilliant at @lisapphics on twitter.
> 
> I don't know why the dialogues are in italics. Usually I just put thoughts in italics. But whatever.

_ “Come on, it’ll be so funny, Chaeng.” _

_ “No way, we’re not doing it.” _

_ “Don’t be such a party pooper! Come on, it’ll be the best prank ever!” _

It started out as Lisa’s idea.

Well, not entirely Lisa’s idea. Part of the idea came from the three full tequila shots she just knocked back, and the two others she drank some fifteen minutes ago.

Lisa’s tequila-addled brain tended to be like that - impulsive, reckless, playful, and worried about absolutely zero consequences. Different types of drinks made different types of drunks.

For Lisa, tequila was her lubricant for stupid. She would always insist that it was her gateway to genius but her manager would beg to differ. Regardless, a tequila-drunk Lisa is a sure-fire ticket for the wildest times and you always come out with a goodie bag of the craziest anecdotes to tell friends - probably over more booze on a later date.

Most of the time she got in trouble for her drunken shenanigans. But even with the hangover, her manager and her publicist still suffered the bigger headaches.

And besides, Lisa is a firm believer of  _ ‘no publicity is bad publicity,’ _ anyway.

_ “Are you insane? You think us pretending to be engaged is a funny little prank?” _

_ “Yeah! ‘Cause we’re doing it just for fun. Think of how crazy your fans and my fans are going to get.” _

_ “Exactly, you idiot.I can deal with my fans. Yours are on a whole other level, though.” _

Lisa snorts laughter, falling back and rolling over on the expensive wool rug in the middle of her living room. Her head thuds quietly on the floor and her arms clutch around her stomach.

If Lisa was a tiny bit more sober, she would realize that her head hitting the floor hurts. Or would hurt, if she wasn’t already at the numb stage of being drunk.

_ “But imagine all the creepy men who would stop bothering us, though.” _

Rosie who was about to put the glass of beer up to her lips stops her hand midair, then she tilts her head in acknowledgement.

_ That is definitely a huge pro to this idea, against the numerous cons. _

She puts the rim of the glass against her mouth, tips the yellow liquid up and into it.

Rosie wasn’t really picky when it came to her drinks. She’s game for anything, despite her vanilla baby girl image. It wasn’t like she chose that image for herself, anyway.

But she’s a beer girl through and through. She would drink ale, craft beer, and cider over harder, heavier liquor.

Tonight, however, she’s drinking with Lisa in the dancer’s apartment. They’re sitting on the floor, cross-legged above Lisa’s very soft, very expensive rug - the alcohol is placed securely in the middle of Lisa’s coffee table, to make sure it doesn’t spill on the carpet.

It’s one of those very rare days where their schedules fit each other’s - their free day falling on the same date. They’ve hardly seen each other nor talked for weeks, what with both of them being the biggest and most widely known pop celebrities - Lisa being the dancer-rapper-model and Rosie being the musician-singer-songwriter of their generation.

So when they do finally find time for each other, what else is there to do but have a girl’s night in getting drunk without the danger of paparazzi selling photos of them being absolute wrecks?

_ “Rosie, we can post some vague caption… and then let the fans run with it... and then, like, come out with a statement later, like... saying we were just best friends, y’know, clowning around… and like, having a little shemance... or whatever the equivalent of, like, a girl bromance is... for girls.” _

Lisa says all of that from her spot on the floor, a little slowly while slightly slurring her words. She’s looking up at her best friend with the stupidest lopsided smile on her face, all bunched up cheeks, and teeth.

Rosie just looks at her for a while, looks at how insane and dumb Lisa looks. And then she bursts out laughing.

_ “Just for fun, right?” _

Lisa nods.

_ “Just for fun... Besides, Jennie’s a brilliant talent manager... Why do you think she’s the highest paid one in the industry? She’ll, like, really be able to sell it.” _

Rosie smiles and shakes her head.

Never in a million years did she ever think Lisa would ask her to do this.

_ “Hey, what do you think of pretending to be engaged with me?” _

And maybe she was just even more drunk as Lisa, at this moment.

Sober Rosie would never even think to consider it.

Or maybe she’s just gone utterly nuts and lost it.

Because then she says,  _ “okay, crazypants, let’s do it.” _

~

Rosie doesn’t know how but Lisa manages to rope Jisoo into it.

Jisoo didn’t even need much convincing, nor did she need to get drunk. Lisa just called her up, put her on speaker so the both of them could talk to her. She laughed when Lisa finished explaining her crazy plan, then simply responded with four words:  _ “be there in five.” _

And sure enough indeed, five minutes later, Jisoo is buzzing in. Lisa let her in the apartment and Jisoo just went straight to the tequila and downed two shots for herself. Then the very willing accomplice turned to both of them and said,  _ “let’s get this started!” _

Rosie absolutely adores Jisoo. She’s one of the most gorgeous women the singer-songwriter has ever met her entire life, and the most talented actress, too.

Jisoo could cry at the drop of a hat, convince everyone that she’s the innocent heartbroken love or she’s the psychotic, vengeful widow.

But what Rosie loved the most about her was her kooky sense of humor and her unique wit. Jisoo was smart, but never the know-it-all. Jisoo was clever, but she never put people down with clapbacks or little reads.

And if any two incredibly famous celebrities wanted to pretend to be engaged just so they can rock the boat a little, Jisoo was the perfect person for it.

Thirty minutes after Jisoo arrived, they had Lisa’s camera equipment set up. A white backdrop rolled out behind them, a reflector to their side, and lights around them.

Lisa may be drunk, but she was determined for the photo to come out looking like it was from a professional shoot. She had a love and a natural eye for photography like no one Rosie has ever met. Rosie sometimes thinks Lisa would be happier if she was a photographer. But she also knows Lisa breathed and lived in movement - that dancing is her one true love and rapping and performing gives her the rush of her life.

So Lisa made her living as a dancer-rapper. And she embraced photography as a hobby, a breath of fresh air from the suffocating confines of show business.

Just like Rosie turned to painting and art when music starts to feel like too much of a job instead of the thing that she loves most.

_ “Okay, get into position, ladies!” _ Jisoo yells excitedly at them.

Lisa throws her head back in loud boisterous laughter - the uninhibited kind of laugh that Lisa rarely ever shows to the public. Rosie giggles too, partly from Lisa’s contagious glee and partly from the alcohol still coursing through her veins.

Rosie was game for drinking any type of liquor, for sure. But she never said she wasn’t a lightweight at it.

Lisa gets down on one knee and wobbles as she does. Rosie holds her hand tight and watches her.

_ “On three, okay?” _ Jisoo checks.

Lisa and Rosie nod.  _ “On three.” _

Jisoo’s counting fades to the background.

It was absolutely unnecessary for their little charade, but Lisa asks her anyway.

_ “Rosie, will you marry me?” _

And it’s all for fun, but Rosie still answers.

_ “Yes.” _

~

After an hour of going through all the photos and drinking  _ so  _ much more, they finally narrowed it down to the two best: one where they were looking into each other’s eyes with Rosie’s hand to her mouth as if in shock, and the other one where it looked like Rosie just said yes and Jisoo made a cameo by playfully hitting Lisa’s head with a toy hammer.

They sit huddled together, leaning against each other for support - Lisa in the middle and Rosie and Jisoo to her left and right.

_ “What should we caption it?” _ Lisa asks.

_ “Something cute and simple. Obvious but not direct.” _ Rosie suggests.

_ “Yeah,” _ Jisoo agrees.

So Lisa types just that, too drunk to even put a space before her little colon + close parenthesis smiley, then clicks post.

_ “She said yes:)” _

~

Lisa and Rosie wake up to a massive hangover and a million missed calls from both of their managers.

And their managers themselves banging on Lisa’s door, ready to call in a demolition team with a wrecking ball to break through.

Well, Jennie was, though. Ashley was fine with just repeatedly buzzing in and calling their phones. Jennie was absolutely murderous. Ashley was a little more chill.

And poor Jisoo got caught in the crossfire of it all, getting a little taste of scolding from Jennie for enabling Lisa and being told to stay put and wait for her turn at Jennie’s ire.

And in the ten years she’s been one of Jennie’s closest friends, she was definitely not looking forward to it.

_ “Lalisa Manoban, what the FUCK were you thinking? I don’t care who you want to spend the rest of your life with but you could have AT LEAST - at the very FUCKING LEAST - informed your manager so we could plan the press release accordingly.” _

Poor Lisa had her hands to her head while Jennie jackhammered a curse-filled sermon into her skull.

Rosie and Ashley stand in the kitchen, on the other side of the apartment far away from the more rackuous duo.

Well, it really was just Jennie causing the racket, but regardless.

Rosie pinched the bridge of her nose, eyes closed and not looking at her manager. If she was she would see Ashley carefully appraising her with a tired look.

A few moments pass and Ashley speaks.

_ “Damn, Rosie, I didn’t even know you swung that way. I should’ve known, though, since you and Lisa were a little too close and a little too clingy to just be friends.” _

_ Huh. What. _

That wasn’t at all what the singer was expecting. She was waiting for some form of scolding from her manager slash mentor, but it seems like none of that was in store for her.

“Still, you both reek of alcohol and you both really came out publicly in the dumbest, most reckless way. A heads up would have been nice, both as your manager and as your friend. I thought we have enough years of trust between us that I deserve at least that.”

Rosie spoke too soon. Or thought too soon. So she tucks away her misplaced relief at not being scolded. What Ashley said was definitely worse than what she expected. An ache grows in her chest and there is a sting of tears behind her closed eyelids.

She should apologize to Ashley. She should explain how this was all a prank and that she and Lisa weren’t really engaged. That it was all just a drunken, impulsive, joke.

But instead she just says, “I’m sorry, Ashley. I’m really sorry.”

Ashley sighs and puts a hand on Rosie’s shoulder, then proceeds to rub her arm up and down in a comforting manner.

“I forgive you, Rosie. And I am happy for you two.”

~

Lisa sits beside Rosie on the couch. It was Jisoo’s turn to be in the hot seat now, and unfortunately, both managers’ attention were now on her as the oldest and more experienced celebrity who should have definitely known better and stopped them instead of enabling them.

_ “Hey,” _ Lisa whispers.

Rosie instinctively leans against Lisa’s side and rests her head on Lisa’s shoulder.

_ “You still have all your limbs intact after Jennie talked to you. Congratulations.” _ Rosie says drily.

Lisa snorts.

_ “If she tore off my limbs, I wouldn’t be able to dance and she’d lose her biggest talent.” _

_ “Mhmm.” _

Rosie closes her eyes. Her headache still hasn’t subsided.

_ “So, wanna tell me how you explained to Ashley that it was a stupid drunken prank so I would know how to explain to Jennie or should I just wait for Ashley to tell Jennie?” _

Rosie sits up and turns to Lisa so fast, she gets dizzy.

_ “You didn’t tell Jennie?!” _ She whispers harshly.

Lisa’s eyes widen like saucers on her tiny face.

_ “You didn’t tell Ashley?” _

Rosie shakes her head vigorously.

_ “Fuck.” _

~

It turns out Jisoo didn’t tell both of them either.

_ “Well, I guess now you two just have to get married,” _ the actress told them earlier, then laughed and ran out to call her driver.

Jennie and Ashley then became busy making and taking calls. The two managers warned them to stay put on the couch and not leave, then confiscated both their phones.

They never went through that celebrity phase where they weren’t allowed to use their phones, but the two managers thought it would serve as an initial punishment and insurance that they don’t cause further damage.

So Rosie and Lisa are left to discuss their next plan of action - how to untangle this great big mess that they’ve caused.

_ “How are we going to tell them the engagement isn’t real and we aren’t actually in love?” _ Lisa asks, awkward and with a pained smile on her face.

Rosie glares at her for a moment, not saying anything. Then she grabs a throw pillow and hits Lisa with it in her face.

_ “Hey!” _ the dancer protests.

_ “This is your fault. You and your dumb ideas!” _

_ “Well, you agreed to it!” _

Rosie harrumphs and crosses her arms in front of her, an angry pout on her lips.

Lisa raises her hands in surrender.

_ “Okay, okay it’s my fault. But we really need to figure out what we’ll do because Ashley and Jennie are probably setting up press conferences right now and already have press releases ready, if they don’t have those out yet.” _

Rosie just glares at her. Lisa sighs and reaches out for her hand. The singer attempts to pull it back, but Lisa stops her and holds it firmly with the other.

_ “Okay, Rosie, I know you’re mad, okay? I’m sorry.” _

Rosie stares at her best friend - the girl she’s known since they were two lowly trainees preparing to debut under different companies, the girl who’s made a new and unfamiliar country feel like home, the girl who, like her, flew miles and left her family to pursue her dreams overseas.

The singer feels her heart thaw. She can’t be mad at Lisa. Not really. She did, after all, give in and agree. She’s partly at fault, too.

Rosie sighs.

_ “Okay, you’re forgiven.” _

Lisa smiles, eyes turning into tiny upturned crescents, all cheeks and teeth. She puts Rosie’s hand to her lips and places a soft kiss, as a sweet gesture - as a  _ wordless thank you for forgiving me and my dumbass _ .

Rosie’s breath hitches at the feel of Lisa’s lips against her skin, a bodily response she didn’t expect. Then she feels a fluttering in her chest, and she’s unsure whether her heart feels like it’s being tickled or cradled in warmth.

Perhaps both.

Suddenly Ashley’s words come back to her: “ _ I should’ve known, though, since you and Lisa were a little too close and a little too clingy to just be friends.” _

And with that came a flashback of all the men that’s courted her - both celebrities and non-celebrities - as if her mind was spinning a rolodex of everything that could be remotely considered as little pages of a technically non-existent love life. From the nice guy in church who offered to teach her guitar, to the high school classmate who confessed his love to her, to the fellow trainee who kept hitting on her, to the other idols who tried getting her number - Chanyeol, Jimin, Jaehyun.

She thinks of how she never felt an inkling of attraction for them, how she’d chalked it up to none of them sparking her interest, how she’s just probably never met her type of guy.

A light bulb goes off in her head. Not in the  _ AHA _ ! or the  _ Eureka _ ! type of way, but more in an  _ illuminating a dark room in her mind that she had no idea existed _ kind.

Because in that instant, her history of not being interested in men  _ finally made sense _ .

And for the first time in all the years she’s known Lisa, she starts considering the one thing she’s never even once talked about.

_ Maybe she does have feelings for Lisa. _

~

Rosie feels a tap on her wrist. She looks up to see Lisa looking at her with concern. The dancer waves a hand in front of her eyes, as if to check if she’s conscious. Rosie slaps it away.

_ “Ow.” _ Lisa complains, cradling her hand dramatically as if the light tap did any actual injury to her.

Rosie groans.

_ “Shut up, that didn’t even hurt.” _

_ “I was just checking if you were okay!” _ Lisa whines.  _ “You suddenly spaced out and got a look on your face like your soul left your body or something.” _

Rosie looks down and starts playing with her nails.

_ “I’m okay.” _ She waves her friend’s concern off, then she looks up at Lisa, now attentive.  _ “Were you saying something?” _

_ “I was saying…” _ Lisa inhales, as if steeling herself. Then exhales in a huff.  _ “Dammit, it was so hard for me to say the first time and now I have to repeat myself because you weren’t listening.” _

_ “Sorry.” _ Rosie actually means the apology.  _ “Now, spit it out.” _

Well, she meant it when she said it.

_ “Okay,” _ Lisa starts.  _ “I was suggesting that we don’t tell Jennie and Ashley.” _

_ “What do you mean not tell them?”  _ Rosie’s heart thunders in her chest and she feels like her brain is about to explode.

_ “Like, not tell them it’s all actually a prank.” _ Lisa elaborates, waiting for it to click in her friend’s brain. She looks into Rosie’s eyes and searches for the understanding she hopes to see there.

But Lisa sees none, so she lets her shoulders sag in defeat and groans.

_ “What?” _ Rosie asks, annoyed and impatient.

_ “I mean, we’re going to pretend like we’re actually in love and engaged?” _

Rosie stands up so quickly she sees spots in her vision. But it doesn’t rattle her from screaming at the incredulity of what Lisa was suggesting.

_ “WHAT?!” _

Lisa shushes her. Her scream was so loud that Jennie and Ashley looked into the living room and shushed her, too, distrurbed from whatever phone call or discussion they were in the middle of, in the kitchen.

Lisa pulls her back down and she sits on the couch, but her mouth was still wide open and her eyebrows were still up so high on her forehead that they’re nearly touching her hairline.

Rosie just couldn’t believe what Lisa was suggesting, that Lisa was actually even suggesting it.

_ “Okay, I know it sounds crazy-” _ Lisa starts explaining but Rosie interrupts her.

_ “Crazy?! It sounds fucking batshit insane.” _

Lisa gives Rosie a look. Rosie doesn’t curse - it’s never been her thing. But this was just off-the-walls insanity and coupled with the recent realization and little crisis she’s internally having, it’s actually quite understandable if she threw around an f-bomb here and there.

But Lisa doesn’t know that. So Lisa stays annoyed.

_ “Can I continue?” _

_ “Okay, sorry.” _

_ “As I was saying,” _ Lisa shoots Rosie a look. Rosie puts her arms up in surrender, showing that she’s not going to interrupt anymore. With that Lisa continues.

_ “We pretend to be in love and engaged. For just a few months. Or even just a few weeks. And then we pretend to break up. And we say it’s just a mutual decision and we both realized we’re not fit to spend the rest of our lives together, or something. We have to clarify that it’s not because of a third party or it’s not because we fought so much and now hate each other. We just decided to go back to being friends because we discovered that we aren’t romantically fit for each other.” _

_ “Huh.” _ Rosie considers Lisa’s proposition.

If they broke the news that everything was just a prank AFTER not telling their managers earlier, they’d be digging themselves into a deeper hole.

Worse, Ashley might just be so done with Rosie that she quits being both her manager and her friend. Rosie thinks she can’t deal with that. She values Ashley far too much as a friend, even if she wasn’t the best one to her since last night.

And there isn’t really any other option. At least one that doesn’t present a solution that wouldn’t harm their careers and their relationship with their managers.

Jennie is actually already the embodiment of wrath. If they told her that it’s all a prank now, she might just strangle Lisa with her bare hands, chop up her dead body to tiny little pieces, and flush the mini decapitated parts down the toilet.

_ Well, fuck. _

Rosie’s going to have to agree to another one of Lisa’s crazy ideas, isn’t she?


	2. Who knows, if she never showed up, what could've been

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An awkward breakfast. A press conference. A SheMZ gossip article. And Rosie wonders and hopes.

Jennie, ever the efficient tiger manager, set the press conference at 2pm on that same day. She had Rosie and Lisa’s respective personal assistants run up to the nearest drug store and buy them ibuprofen and then stop by the ground floor cafe of Lisa’s condominium building to get pretzels, sandwiches, and four coffees as brunch.

Both Rosie and Lisa tried to protest and remind Jennie that the two of them weren’t coffee drinkers, but Jennie shot them down with a piercing glare - a wordless warning. As if to say: I know you both don’t drink coffee, but you will fucking drink coffee because I said so.

Lisa just gulped and Rosie subconsciously scooched closer to her.

Probably to throw Lisa at Jennie if ever Jennie explodes in anger again or use Lisa as a human shield.

Lisa, clearly understood her body language, however, and gave Rosie an incredulous look.

_ Really? So if it comes down to it, you’ll let me suffer Jennie’s wrath alone? _

Rosie shrugged.

_ She’s your manager. _

Fiancée or not, Rosie was not going to deal with Jennie’s ire for more than necessary.

As if having read her thoughts, Lisa just rolled her eyes.

_ Well, fuck me, then. _

_ ~ _

They eat breakfast in tense, absolute silence.

It’s like the dinner where you bring your significant other to meet your parents because they’d found out you got engaged without them knowing and they’re upset they had to know from the neighborhood gossip out of all people.

Only it’s worse because Lisa and Rosie are having breakfast with their managers with a hangover.

And they’re both A-list celebrities, who, only hours ago, the world had thought of as straight women and they managed to both not only come out, but also announce to the world that they’ve gotten engaged out of the blue. And they did it through instagram, where they both have more than 20 million followers.

But that’s not even the worst part of it.

The worst part is that it’s all fake, and they have to put up the charade of being in love in front of their managers, too.

If anyone asked trainee Lisa and Rosie how they saw themselves in five years or so, they would have never thought - not even in their wildest, most absurd dreams - that they’d be in this very specific situation.

So they all eat their breakfasts in silence. Lisa even suffers through her black coffee because the assistant forgot to grab extra packets of cream and Jennie made sure to use up three after Rosie and Ashley took one each, while pointedly staring at her, as if daring her to ask for one.

Of course, Lisa doesn’t dare. She really didn’t want to further poke her manager and provoke another round of angry sermons.

If Lisa wasn’t herself and was simply an outsider watching them, she’d have laughed her ass off at the poor soul being punished by Miss Jennie Kim.

But alas, she is on the receiving end of it through no one else’s fault but her own.

So she accepts her fate.

And so does Rosie beside her.

But Rosie has something else entirely on her mind. The silence allowed her thoughts to wander. Inevitably, they drift towards Lisa. Or more specifically, her memories of Lisa and the times they spent together.

She wonders when, where, and how her feelings started to become more.

Was it when they both debuted in their careers yet managed to still show up in support for one another at shoots and guestings and concerts and shows? Or was it before that when they were both trainees in a strange land, learning a language unfamiliar to both their tongues? Or was it even before that, when they first met each other?

Rosie ends up with a blank. She really had no way of finding out because she’d seen Lisa as no more than a friend up until an hour or so ago, before Ashley said what she did.

Rosie sighs, deep and heavy. A part of her mind wishes Ashley never said anything, or even blew up like Jennie. And then another part of her wishes she didn’t feel this way about Lisa at all. That would certainly make things a lot easier.

Feelings make this already complicated and difficult situation, off-the-rails bananas.

But a smaller, meeker part of her - the part hidden inside a box she dares not open -  _ wonders and hopes _ .

Wonders if Lisa feels the same way about her.

And hopes that Lisa does.

~

Rosie and Lisa’s respective stylists and make-up team arrive right after breakfast, looking like they didn’t really want to be there at that moment - as if they’d been held at gunpoint and told to show up.

Knowing Jennie, they probably were. Figuratively at least. Jennie doesn't own any firearms. As far as Lisa knows.

Whoever compared Jennie Kim to a cute cat once upon a time was clearly mistaken. Sure, she is tiny and her round cheeks make her look so adorable, but when it comes down to business, she never plays.

And that’s probably why she’s the perfect manager for Lisa.

Usually, they would get ready in their respective entertainment companies. However, for this afternoon’s impromptu event, Lisa’s apartment becomes de facto headquarters.

It’s Lisa’s fault, anyways.

Thirty minutes before the press conference, Lisa and Rosie - all done up and both in the respective luxury brands they represent, with Lisa in head-to-toe Balenciaga and Rosie decked out in everything YSL - were already in their respective vans, on the way to the venue.

Jennie even looked pleased with how things were going smoothly. She can only hope her number one talent doesn’t do anything in the short ride to screw things up again.

_ “The questions were pre-approved. You read everything on the printout I gave you?” _ Jennie asks Lisa.

Lisa holds up the stapled sheets of paper in her hand, two pages flipped over.

_ “I’m on my fourth read-through, boss.” _

_ “Good. Just be your usual, charming self. Speak slowly, but do speak. I know you tend to opt for silence and instead become reactive when you’re too afraid to say the wrong things.” _ Jennie looks at Lisa from the rearview mirror. She sees Lisa nodding while looking at the papers again.

The manager sighs, feels a smidge of guilt brush against her shoulders.

_ “I know I blew up on you, Lisa, but I’m going to say this just once, so you better be listening right now.” _

Lisa looks up then, interest piqued, eyebrow raised.

_ “I’m sorry if my outburst rained all over the excitement for your engagement. You may be an idiot, but I am glad you found someone you want to spend the rest of your life with. I really am happy for you and Rosie. You’re both such warm, bright people who bring sunshine to the lives of those around you. You deserve each other.” _

Lisa blinks, stunned. She feels something crack in her chest - something warm up and thaw. She and Jennie never really considered their relationship to be anything deeper than talent and manager.

But maybe, over the years, they have developed something akin to friendship. Lisa would definitely trust this woman with her whole career. Perhaps now, she thinks she can trust Jennie with more than that.

The dancer smiles, an answer easily spilling out of her lips.

_ “Thank you.” _

There’s one more thing on Lisa’s mind that she doesn’t say. She’s too well-aware that, essentially, this whole thing is a big charade and none of it is real.

_ I’m happy that Rosie and I found each other, too. _

But she doesn’t dare say it.

It’s too much of the truth and such a truth deserves to see light under different circumstances. 

And she wants a different set of ears to hear it, first.

~

**“ChaeLisa: BEST FRIENDS TO LOVERS!”**   
_ Posted August 8th, 2020. Written by OhMez Hilt-under. _

**That’s right, folks!**

**After a surprise instagram post last night from worldwide dancing and rapping sensation Lalisa Manoban, best known by her stage name LISA, fans and gossip columnists alike were left scratching their heads to wonder: have LISA and ROS** **É been in a secret relationship all along and are now finally coming out to the world AND announcing that they’re tying a knot or was it all simply nothing more than a silly stunt pulled by straight gal pals for shits and giggles?**

**SheMZ got the confirmation at a press conference the two performers held today - YES THEY’RE REALLY ENGAGED AND HAPPILY IN LOVE!**

**Cue the shippers going wild!**

**It was Lisa who popped the question first, but apparently it had been a long time coming. Ros** **é recounts how impulsive the move had actually been on her fiancée’s part but she admits to having harbored feelings for her best friend for years. Lisa had just beat her to the punch.**

**Lisa had managed to rope famous Actress Jisoo Kim, who was also tagged in the engagement photos, into preparing for the little proposal as well.**

**The happy couple also announced that they hadn’t made up their minds about the date and details of the wedding quite yet, what, with Ros** **é being booked for a European tour with 15 stops in major cities all around the continent and Lisa being appearing as regular mentor for a dancing show, a regular judge for a reality talent competition show, and preparing for her new rap album, they just can’t pin down the perfect date and place to have the wedding.**

**Ah, but isn’t that just the price of fame?**

**The couple does promise SheMZ that when they do finally set their eyes on a date, we will be one of the first to know! And also when Lisa does finally buy a ring.**

**Apparently, the dancer’s proposal had actually been impulsive that she didn’t even get to buy a ring. But when she does, she also promises that SheMZ will immediately be sent photos of it.**

**Either way, SheMZ congratulates the happy couple. Love wins!**

~

The press conference went smoothly. Lisa did forget about the little detail of the real engagement ring, and had to tell a story about how she proposed with the same ring she once gave Rosie as a gift, back when they were still new stars, up and coming.

Still, it went as smoothly as it could have gone, all things considered. Jennie even booked a dinner for all of them at a nice hotel - the two stars and their managers, along with the stylists and makeup crew, assistants and the bodyguards and drivers.

So it’s safe to assume that the tiger manager had been pleased with the outcome.

During the press conference they got asked who proposed. Lisa said she did. They got asked to recount the story of how they ended up together. Rosie managed to cook something up, tell the story of how they’d been friends since trainee days and how she’d had feelings for Lisa since then but never realized it.

Lisa was glad for that save, cause she didn’t really know what to say. For Rosie, though, it wasn’t really a save. It was just more so an admission to realizations she’d had that morning.

She didn’t know what came over her, but the words just slipped out, none of it rehearsed and everything completely ringing true in her heart. She was sweating like a pig and her hands shook as she held the mic, but she managed to get through.

And as nerve-wracked as Rosie was while telling that story, it had been absolutely liberating to say it.

Especially when she was looking right into Lisa’s eyes doing it.

Rosie wondered if Lisa felt the truth and sincerity in her words - even just a little bit. She’d hoped that genuineness had somehow bled out, enough to seep through the idea in Lisa’s brain that they were only faking being in love.

Rosie doesn’t even want to think of the high probability that she was the only one with feelings and Lisa was just faking it.

But her hopes and dreams are dashed.

Because after the press conference and on their way to their respective vans, Lisa enveloped her in the biggest warmest hug that Rosie couldn’t help but melt. And then she whispered into her best friend’s ear, making sure that no one else around them gets to hear - especially not their managers.

“Your acting was so good up there. It really saved my ass. You should get booked in a drama with Jisoo.”

Rosie just looked at her and laughed, after extricating herself from the embrace. Her laugh was humorless and pained.

She wonders how long exactly they would need to pretend to be engaged to each other.

And she hopes that it only gets easier for her, given what she feels for her best friend.

Or she hopes at least that the next time she has to talk about her feelings, that Lisa’s clueless looks and compliments to her acting won’t hurt as much as it does now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> leave me comments and kudos! :)


	3. One single thread of gold tied me to you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Once Rosie starts rehearsals for her tour, she finds that being fake engaged to Lisa doesn't bother her so much. Lisa, on the other hand, was having an entirely different experience.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I also have the next chapter uploaded ;) keep reading!

Turns out, being fake engaged to superstar Lalisa Manoban isn’t so hard. And neither does it make a huge difference in Rosie’s life.

Or at least, that’s what she’s learned in the first month and a half.

Sure, there was the fact that Rosie has to deal with her newly-discovered feelings and the fact that she now understands that the blushing, swooning and butterflies in her stomach whenever Lisa compliments her is a by-product of that. And yeah, she gets a little too gleeful whenever Lisa sends her a selfie coupled with the messages,  _ “do I look okay”  _ or  _ “how do you like this new hoodie I bought lol it has a weird baby on it” _ . And she probably shouldn’t be as thrilled as she is when Lisa calls her  _ “my beloved fianc _ _ ée” _ and once, in an instagram post of a throwback photo of them with Lisa’s cats,  _ “the loves of my life” _ .

But all in all, it’s not as horrible as she thought it would be.

And the same goes for public response. The worldwide public were understandably shocked by their announcement - their respective loyal fanbases, especially - but the general consensus is that the news of their engagement was well-received and even widely-supported.

Of course, some of the more loyal, verging on rabid, fans did not take it well and felt like they were betrayed by them both; firstly for being gay, secondly for having the audacity to be in a relationship. But it’s not like they weren’t expecting that.

One thing that made Rosie uneasy, though, was that they were suddenly thrust into the role of being icons for the LGBT community. It was one thing neither she nor Lisa considered, but apparently something their managers both predicted.

Well, that just goes to show they both have managers who do their jobs.

So, in light of being overnight sapphic icons, they have both been receiving invitations to perform at Pride events and speak at LGBT community gatherings.

Rosie feels terrible about it. First, because she’s only recently discovered that she’s actually attracted to the same-sex. Second, because they’re only technically pretending to be gay and in love.

If she any other baby gay and she wasn’t her, then she found out that two people she idolized for being strong enough to come out despite what people would say, she’d feel absolutely, utterly offended.

What she and Lisa are doing is without a doubt disrespectful to such a marginalized community.

It makes Rosie sick thinking about it, about how many little girls in love with their best friends, spurned on by the instagram posts, are now having the courage to come out about their feelings. And then the truth of it is that all of it is fake?

God, Rosie just wishes she could turn back time and simply undo everything - say no to Lisa, firmly, when she suggests the stupid idea, and then come to realize her feelings about her best friend on her own.

But what’s done is done and there is definitely no way to change the past.

Rosie promises herself that when she makes better sense of her feelings, after she and Lisa call off their fake engagement, she’ll have to come out to Lisa and confess her love. There’s no other way to go about it. Her fear of rejection from her best friend cannot keep her from saying her truth - saying it to the one person who needs to hear it, who matters the most.

Rosie is determined to do it right - to do right by herself, and do right by all the other closeted girls harboring feelings for their best friends.

For now, though, Rosie has instructed Ashley to respectfully decline those invitations. She knows she has no right speaking for an experience she is yet to have. She knows it would be wrong to pretend like she’s some kind of role model, some brave representative or spokesperson. She’s talked to Jennie and Lisa as well about it and Jennie understood.

But Jennie told them they would have to appear at talk shows and talk about their engagement and relationship sooner or later. Ashley agreed with Jennie. So that’s one thing she can avoid. But fortunately for her, she’s currently busy with rehearsals and she’ll have an upcoming tour so she wouldn’t have to speak about their fake engagement on national television or radio shows.

But Lisa on the other hand, being a regular on a few shows and being booked on nothing but promotions for her upcoming new release, has no way of evading personal queries.

~

_ “And from 53 contestants, only 28 now remain. Who among them will debut in the top 12 and become the next girl group phenomenon? Tune in next week. This is your host and judge, Kun-” _

_ “And this is your host and judge, Lisa-” _

The two hosts-slash-judges turn to each other, then to the camera and together they say:  _ “Thank you and good night!” _

_ “And cut! That’s a wrap on the live broadcast!” _ The director announces. The remaining trainees applaud and congratulate each other, meanwhile the eliminated ones are crying and ushered out of the studio.

Lisa takes off her in-ear and couldn’t stop the sigh escaping from her lips. It had been a particularly exhausting few weeks since her fake engagement was announced. Since then she has been shooting for reality show competitions non-stop. Most days, she’s actually being a hands-on mentor with the trainees, though they don’t show all of it. She actually teaches the steps and choreographs some of the dances. If she isn’t doing that, she’s meeting with her producer and still working on polishing some of the tracks on her new and upcoming rap album.

Lisa hasn’t been able to properly stay and enjoy her apartment and the company of her cats for a while. She’s glad her mother is more than happy to cat-sit for her, though.

But the most exhausting part of it all was having to answer and address all the goddamn questions and congratulatory messages and even the jokes about her engagement. She envies Rosie for being holed up in the dance studio, focusing only on rehearsing for the stages in her solo concert tour. The only people she’ll have to explain anything to are the dancers and choreographers who are mostly professional and will stop bothering her once it’s time for practice.

Lisa, on the other hand though, has to deal with a lot of different people - mostly other celebrities, too - who want to poke and prod at her love life.

Just because she’s famous and was generous (dumb) enough to share part of her private life, a lot of people think that they’re actually entitled to know everything about her. But what’s even weirder and worse, is that now even fellow celebrities who most definitely know how it feels to have their privacy invaded, are doing a lot of invading into hers, too.

It might be that they’re just glad it’s not their own love life that’s in the spotlight right now.

Either way, Lisa absolutely loathes it and immediately develops a loathing for anyone who would be pestering her about her and Rosie’s engagement.

Even if all of it is really her fault. All the badgering has overstepped the boundaries of common human decency and it’s just driving her mad. And Lisa knows that she deserves to be angry about it, rightfully so.

So when Kun turns to her and gives her a smirk, and then says,  _ “so, will you be coming home to the fiancée tonight, or nah?” _ Lisa thinks of wiping the stupid smirk off his face.

Preferably with her fist. But because she doesn’t want to be slapped with an assault suit right when all the gossip outlets are zeroing in on her, she gives him a tight-lipped smile and curt reply in return.

_ “No. Like I told you last week, Rosie is busy with rehearsals for her concert tour.” _

Kun nods, still smirking.

_ “Ah, right, right.” _

And then, for god knows what reason, Kun winks at her, then says, _ “must be great to be marrying such a fine woman like Rosé - she’s talented and she’s also so  _ hot _.” _

The way he says it rubs Lisa the wrong way and makes goosebumps erupt all over her flesh in disgust. Kun must think that because Lisa is out as a gay woman now, that they’re some kind of  _ bros _ .

Lisa grits her teeth, has to physically stop herself from making any moves and make an effort to stay rooted where she stands. She wants nothing more than to beat the shit out of him. He always annoyed her but it was always harmless.

This, though, was just too much. Lisa’s not stupid, she knows what Kun meant, with the way he said it. And there was no way she’s letting him speak about nor think of Rosie in that way, fake fiancée or not.

_ “Yeah, I’m incredibly lucky to be marrying Rosé and as her fiancée, I respectfully ask you to never talk about her again in that way.” _

Lisa’s nostrils flare and figurative steam comes out of it. Kun physically backs away from her, hands raised to placate her.

_ “Whoa, Lisa, chill. I was just appreciating her.” _

Lisa takes a step forward, eyes glinting dangerously.

_ “Appreciate her again like that and I can assure you, you will regret it.” _

Kun raises his arms higher.

_ “Okay, I’m sorry! I mean nothing by it, really.” _

Lisa just pivots on her heel, storms off away from the stage and the asshole she has the misfortune of being coworkers with. Once backstage and in her dressing room, she asks for her phone and one of the assistants hands it to her.

She opens her call log, taps on the contact that she called last -  _ Rosie ❤ _ . Then she decides against calling. Her fake fiancée is probably smack in the middle of rehearsals right now and can’t be bothered. She decides to send a text message instead, even though she knows Rosie isn’t really the type to respond to text messages.

But Lisa just feels too upset and needs to both find some form of comfort and release.

And Rosie has always constantly been the one to give her both of that.

Lisa thinks for a moment, of what to say. She ends up with something a little longer than her usual short ones, but taps it quickly, fingers flying over the keyboard. She usually isn’t one to type too many words, she likes to keep texts short and simple since that’s exactly what they’re for, right? But she hasn’t been having the best time dealing with the repercussions of her recklessness and she just misses Rosie so,  _ so  _ much.

So before she second-guesses the message, she presses send.

_ ‘Was gonna call but I know ur busy, so I’ll text instead. Work sucked today. Kun was such an asshole. More than usual. The fake engagement prank isn’t funny anymore. Why did I have to be such a dumbass? But I guess, things could have been worse. I could have been stupider and fake-engaged myself to someone that isn’t u. Anyway, I’m glad it’s u. Jennie told me she’s happy we found each other, btw, before the presscon. She doesn’t know we’re not really dating, but she isn’t wrong. I’m happy I found u and I’m fake-engaged to U. I miss u. Good luck with rehearsals. Ur Beyonc _ _ é _ _ ’s successor. Ur amazing. Love u.’ _

_ Sent 21:05 ✓. _

~

Rosie reads the message at 11:16 pm that night when her face is freshly washed of makeup and she’s in her jammies tucked in bed. The wall of text surprises her, but it’s the kind of unexpected that’s pleasant. A warmth spreads from her chest down to her belly and a huge grin erupts on her face.

Rosie doesn’t remember the last time Lisa sent her a long text message. Even birthday greetings or congratulatory messages were short and straightforward, never rambly. And now that she thinks about it, she’s convinced Lisa actually never sent her a long message in all 10 years she’s known her.

Well, there surely is a first time for everything.

All these years and Lisa can still surprise her.

Rosie thinks that Lisa is probably tired and already asleep but on the off-chance that she’s still awake and upset, she texts her back.

_ ‘Sounds like Kun did something really awful for you to send me that wall of text. You can call me if you’re still up.’ _

_ Sent 23:17 ✓. _

The singer stares at her messages thread with Lisa. Then suddenly her phone starts to vibrate and Lisa’s caller ID pops up - incoming call.

Rosie picks it up right away.

_ “You’re still awake?” _

_ “Mmm,” _ comes the muffled reply.  _ “In bed but couldn’t sleep.” _

_ “Well, wanna talk to me about what is keeping you up?” _ Rosie offers, gently.

Lisa sighs.

_ “Just…”  _ she starts,  _ “just everything. Kun, firstly, but also I feel bad for putting us in this dumb situation.” _ Lisa sighs again, sadness in her tone.  _ “I’m really sorry for all of it, Rosie.” _

_ “Well, you always knew how to make life interesting, Lisa. It’s one of your many talents.” _ Rosie chuckles.  _ “But it’s okay and you don’t have to feel bad anymore. There’s no sense in beating yourself up over what’s already done.” _

Lisa sighs again.  _ “But still…” _

_ “Yeah, I know.” _ Rosie agrees. Those three specific words bring comfort to Lisa, like they always do. Lisa has never been a woman of many words, never been one with a knack of expressing emotion linguistically. She has always been all about movement. If she was angry or sad or happy, she conveyed it physically, with animated facial expressions and nonverbal sounds - a squee or a harrumph or a grunt or a groan.

So whenever Rosie says,  _ “yeah, I know,” _ Lisa always feels relieved of the burden of having to verbalize her thoughts. And what a relief it is, to not have to explain herself to someone all the time - to have someone just get her.

Because Rosie understood her not only from the years they’ve known each other, but also just from this deep, palpable bond she’s always felt between the two of them. As if there is a string, anchored directly into her heart that connects to Rosie and if ever she needed anything - any form of comfort, any form of acceptance, any form of just being seen - she knows she only needs to give the string a little tug and Rosie would be there.

Lisa smiles.

_ “Yeah. You do know.” _ She chuckles. Rosie laughs along with her.

_ “Look on the brightside, besides not having to deal with being hit on by men, we apparently made a lot of  _ ‘shippers’  _ happy.” _

Lisa bursts out laughing then. When the news of their engagement broke out, it came to their attention that some of their fans actually  _ ‘ship’  _ them with each other. Apparently,  _ ‘shipping’  _ is wishing for two people to be in a relationship - hence, ship - and creating fan content to feed into the whole idea of said two people being together, whether it be drawing them together or writing stories about them being together.

It gave both of them a kick, looking at all the fanmade stuff the shippers did for them. They would stalk fanartists, mostly, on instagram and like some of their posts.

Of course, to add a level of legitimacy to their whole charade, but also to just show appreciation. Some people are just so talented and deserve to be recognized for it.

_ “Yeah, we really made their shipping dreams come true, didn’t we?” _ Lisa says proudly.

_ “We sure did.” _ Rosie agrees.

And then Lisa yawns.

_ “Sleepy now?” _ Rosie asks.

_ “Mhmm. Thank you.” _

_ “Okay, good night, Lisa.” _

_ “Good night, Rosie.” _

The dancer didn’t even remember to tell her best friend and fake fianc ée about Kun and what he had said to make her so upset. But she didn’t feel the need to.

Rosie gets her already, anyways.


	4. There goes the maddest woman this town has ever seen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lisa plans a little surprise for Rosie. It doesn't go exactly as planned.

Lisa knocks quietly against her manager’s office door. It’s all frosted glass with the company logo and Jennie usually has a sixth sense for Lisa’s presence. The manager always somehow looks up from her laptop to see the dancer’s silhouette and her bangs peeking out through the clear parts of it.

But Lisa likes to knock anyways, likes to pretend to be Anna asking Elsa if she wants to build a snowman through the keyhole, and replay the whole scenario in her head.

Jennie looks up, calls out for her to enter.

_ “Come in,” _ says the manager.

Lisa pushes the door open and steps into the office. The dancer seems a little too gentle in her steps, as if a meek little girl. She’s touching both of her forefingers together, and Lisa couldn’t be more obvious that she came here with an agenda - either she messed up and is about to butter Jennie up so she doesn’t blow up on her ass, or she probably has a favor/request to ask for.

Jennie raises an eyebrow, already guarded and distrusting her favorite talent. Lisa stands in front of her desk instead of just taking a seat on the other side of her desk - something she never had to be invited to do and just did.

Lisa doesn’t get shy anymore when she’s comfortable around the person. Whatever she has to say must be something major.

_ “Where’s the body and who did you kill?” _ Jennie asks with a straight face, voice deadpan.

_ “Huh? What?” _ Lisa sputters.  _ “What are you talking about?” _

_ “You look like you need something from me and I’m just preparing myself for the worst. You know, I have the best criminal lawyer in the country on speed dial for this exact moment.” _ Jennie folds her arms across her chest as says this in all seriousness.  _ “Where’s the body?” _

Lisa throws her hands up and groans, then plops herself on the chair.

_ “There’s no body to be disposed of, sheesh. I just want to ask if I can fly to Paris for the weekend.” _

_ “Paris?!” _ Jennie exclaims in surprise.  _ “Whatever the hell fo-- oh.” _ And then realization dawns on the manager. Right, of course.  _ “Rosie’s last concert stop is in Paris this weekend.” _

_ “Bingo.” _ Lisa grins.  _ “I was just thinking of surprising her. I know I have a shoot til Friday night and I need to come into the studio for last minute re-recording and photoshoots for the new album on Sunday afternoon, so I’ll literally just drop by Rosie’s concert and then run out of there right after, I swear. Literally, just fly in, drop by quick, and fly out back.” _

Jennie studies Lisa.

_ “Well, you should’ve told me the body to be taken care of and disposed was yours. Do you plan on killing yourself with exhaustion over the weekend?” _

Lisa waives her off.

_ “I’ll be fine, Jen, I can sleep on the plane and the make up team will do the rest of the work to make sure I don’t look like a zombie for the shoot.” _

Jennie sighs.

_ “Lisa, come on. I support you two but you can’t just go off any time you feel like surprising her.” _

_ “I know, that’s why I came here to ask.” _ Lisa winks.

Jennie groans and leans back against the backrest of her big office chair.

_ “You know what I mean.” _

Lisa leans forward and puts a palm down against her desk. She looks her manager in the eye and makes sure that Jennie sees how sincere she is.

_ “Yes, I do. And I’m telling you, that I swear on all the years I’ve shown up at shoots and practices on time, that I will make it to my schedules like nothing changed and I will do my job. I swear. Trust me.” _

Jennie examines her for a while. Something in Lisa’s face tells her how bad she wants this and how earnest she is about making it work. She’s seen a difference in Lisa over the past two months since the engagement, as if the dancer is happier and lighter on her feet somehow. Lisa usually got shy in interviews, but whenever asked a question about her fiancée, she would so eagerly recount some memory of her and talk about her non-stop.

Even the stylists, makeup team, and assistants have noticed a change.

So how can Jennie keep Lisa from doing something that will make Rosie happy? Making Rosie happy seems like one of the things Lisa loves to do. Can Jennie really stop her from doing what she loves?

The manager sighs.

_ “I can move the shoot and re-recording to early Monday morning. We’ll be using our own studio in the building for the photoshoot anyways so it won’t be much of a headache to do. Just make sure you--” _

Jennie’s prattling of the things she’ll have to do and the conditions Lisa has to meet gets cut short when Lisa abruptly stands up and leans over her desk to envelop her in a hug.

_ “AAAH! THANK YOU THANK YOU!! YOU’RE THE BEST!!” _ The dancer squeals in excitement, so close to her ear that Jennie nearly goes deaf. The manager winces, but wraps an arm around Lisa anyway and pats her on the back.

_ “You’re welcome. Just don’t show up to the shoot looking like a zombie. _ ”

Lisa lets her go and leans back, but only to gain momentum when she launches herself back again at Jennie to plant a big exaggerated kiss on her cheek.

_ “YOU’RE THE BEST.” _

_ “EUGHCK!” _ Jennie slaps her away.  _ “Get off me! You got what you wanted, stop torturing me!” _

Lisa laughs and acquiesces. The dancer then merrily takes her leave to go meet her song producer in the recording studio. She gives her manager a respectful 90 degree bow in thanks and then springs off.

Jennie just laughs and shakes her head.

~

The surprise was actually Jisoo’s idea. Lisa had lunch with her one day. They both had schedules later that day - a cf shoot for Jisoo and a fashion event for Lisa. So they decided to meet up before they have to start preparing for work, catch up since they’ve barely seen each other since they did the nefarious little prank that has turned Lisa’s life upside down.

Of course, Jisoo agreed to meet her at the little cafe midway between their apartments. The actress would take up any invitation as an excuse to overload on coffee outside of her house. Dalgom has been looking at her with judgmental eyes whenever she’s holding a mug that he learns to be an americano after a few sniffs.

She’d love to be able to enjoy her little caffeine addiction without her dog looking at her like she’s some crackhead, thank you very much.

_ “How’s life now that you’re engaged?” _ Jisoo had teased Lisa.

Lisa leaned in close to make sure no one else hears her.

_ “Fake engaged,” _ the dancer corrected.

Jisoo just waved her off.

_ “Real or not, you’re surely suffering the well-deserved consequences.” _ The actress laughed and took a sip of her iced americano then sighed, pleased at the bitterness coating her tongue.

Lisa hummed in agreement, not really having any retort to throw back at her friend because she’s definitely right. She picked up her cup of high quality thai tea - the reason why she’d chosen this particular cafe as their meet up place - and swirled half of the liquid left in it, not really drinking.

_ “Well, you watched all the interviews I struggled by myself in.” _ Lisa looked at Jisoo expectantly, the statement both a question and a declaration. She had a hunch that Jisoo would enjoy her misery as entertainment, but she didn’t know if the actress would have been too busy to be up to date on her own activities.

When Jisoo laughed and nodded, she got her confirmation that she thought right.

Jisoo had been keeping up on her interviews. And she had been enjoying Lisa scrambling for answers to questions about her fake fiancée.

_ “It would have been easier with her here.” _ Lisa sighed sadly.  _ “But then again, it was me who put us in this dumb situation, anyway, so I don’t really have any right to whine.” _

Jisoo looked at her thoughtfully.

_ “You miss her, don’t you?” _ The actress said knowingly. It sounded like she knew more than she was letting on, as if there was a truth that she could see and Lisa couldn’t.

Lisa felt exposed under Jisoo’s gaze for reasons she couldn’t explain. It was an odd feeling. It’s not like Lisa is hiding anything from her friend. Jisoo is one of the two people in the world who knows everything about her.

_ “I do.” _ Lisa agreed, not really having any motive for lies.  _ “I really miss her and it’s weird because we’ve both always been busy. But recently it’s just…” _ Lisa gestured with her hands, looking for the right words.  _ “Like, I just miss her more.” _

Jisoo smiled softly, straw tipped towards her lips.

_ “Then why don’t you go see her, then? Her last stop is in Paris next week.” _

Lisa looked at her friend like she grew two heads. Jisoo shrugged.

_ “What? It’s not like you can’t afford a plane ticket and hotel, and you surely have enough seniority in the industry to pull a few strings and make it work.” _ Jisoo further argued.  _ “It would be a nice surprise. She loves surprises. And it might do you some good, make you feel better.” _

_ “Huh.” _

And that is how Lisa finds herself snoozing peacefully in first class, snug as a bug in one of her many oversized hoodies under a cartoon character blanket, on her way to Paris.

~

Rosie plucks a few strings of her electric guitar. The sound reverberates inside the packed 7,000 capacity venue. She stands alone onstage and the inside of the whole dome is dark except for a single spotlight shining on her.

_ “This last song is a cover.” _ The singer explains on the mic, voice husky and low and suddenly so shy. She chose this song because it seemed so fitting for her mood for this last week - she’s been feeling a little lonely about her new-found feelings for her best friend and fake fiancée. So she felt that this song was a bit apt, also given that it’s been somehow stuck in her head since she landed in Paris for rehearsals.

Of course, Rosie deals with her feelings the best way she knows how - through song and music.

_ “This song might be a bit sad.” _ She plucks a few more notes, letting their beautiful vibrato hang in the air.  _ “But if you listen to it, it’ll make me happy. And you might find that it brings you comfort as well.” _ She says with a smile.

The audience collectively goes “ _ aww _ ” which she hears faintly through her in-ear. Rosie laughs under her breath, then looks out to the crowd - a sea of people who came to watch her perform and listen to her sing. She decides that the best way to thank everyone who’s come and who’s helped make this possible was to bare her heart to all of them.

And so she zips the little imaginary pocket on her chest open and lets her heart peek out from under her ribcage for all to see.

_ “This song is for my love who isn’t here but who I so badly wish was here with me right now.” _

The crowd goes “ _ aww _ ” once again. Rosie closes her eyes, meaning every word she just said, thinking of the woman she was pertaining to.

Her love. Lisa. Who isn’t here. But who she wishes so badly was there with her.

Unknown to her, the person she’s dedicating the song to is actually backstage, at that very moment, holding the biggest bouquet she could carry, and watching Rosie completely enchanted.

Rosie closes her eyes. She strums one more time, before she starts singing the words.

_ I, I know where to lay _ _   
_ _ I know what to say _ _   
_ _ It's all the same _

_ And I, I know how to play _ _   
_ _ I know this game _ _   
_ _ It's all the same _

Rosie sings her heart out, eyes closed the entire time. She draws the notes out, shifting easily to her head voice when appropriate.

She allows her voice to drip honey emotion, she allows the notes to carry over the love she holds for her best friend who is entirely clueless about her feelings. She lets the heartbreak and loneliness wash over her through the music, feels a cleansing take place of her mind and spirit.

_ Now if I keep my eyes closed he looks just like you _ _   
_ _ But he'll never stay, they never do _ _   
_ _ Now if I keep my eyes closed he feels just like you _ _   
_ _ But you've been replaced _ _   
_ _ I'm face to face with someone new _

She allows her walls to crumble, allows her armor chip away then disintegrate. She turns herself inside out, skeletal, vulnerable.

Yet strong. She feels a different kind of strength fueling her.

_ Would've gave it all for you, cared for you _ _   
_ _ So tell me where I went wrong _ _   
_ _ Would've gave it all for you, cared for you _ _   
_ _ My lover, oooh… _

She feels her truth settle like a cloak on her shoulders then wrap around her whole being tightly. She feels the freedom that comes with realization, the freedom of acceptance of oneself hardened into armor - one that isn’t easily pierced.

_ Would've trade it all for you, there for you _ _   
_ _ So tell me how to move on _ _   
_ _ Would've trade it all for you, cared for you _ _   
_ _ My lover, oooh… _

Backstage, Lisa’s tears flow freely without her realizing it. There is something about the way Rosie is singing this song, not knowing that she’s here listening to it, that just renders her absolutely speechless.

If Lisa wasn’t leaning against the metal bars holding up the backdrop that separates the backstage from the front, Lisa would be blown off her feet.

_ Now if I keep my eyes closed he looks just like you _ _   
_ _ But he'll never stay, they never do _ _   
_ _ Now if I keep my eyes closed he feels just like you _ _   
_ _ But you've been replaced _ _   
_ __ I’m face to face with someone new...

The song ends, the last note from the guitar vades, and Rosie’s vibrato hangs in the air. The crowd is silent for a few minutes, just as floored as Lisa is by the emotionally loaded performance.

And then the whole dome erupts in applause. Rosie breaks out in a grin, quickly wiping away the stray tears that have managed to escape from her eyes.

_ “Thank you, Paris!” _ The stage lights come on as the singer exclaims into her mic and waves at the audience.

Lisa gets waved at by the stage director. He instructs her that this is her cue. But the dancer doesn’t hear him nor the 7,000 attendees in the Z énith that night .

Something overcomes her, takes over all of her senses and makes them all hone in on one person.

Rosie.

Lisa steps out from the backstage on her own, in a daze. She lets the strong gravitational pull take her towards Rosie.

The singer is standing in the middle of the stage in sparkly thigh high boots and a simple black shirt with her guitar slung over her shoulder, still waving at her fans and taking quick, shy bows while holding her hair back from falling into her face.

Lisa hugs the huge bouquet to herself as she feels herself floating towards her - or at least, she loses awareness of how her legs are moving, seemingly taking steps of their own accord.

And it’s then when the crowd notices her. The screams triple in intensity, the applause becoming deafening, and some people even stand from their seats to start whooping. They were cheering for her. They were happy for her. They were celebrating her showing up for Rosie and what they know to be their perfect love story.

Lisa couldn't be sure. She doesn’t hear them. She feels everything else get swallowed up by the background.

The crowd starts chanting her name.

_ “LISA! LISA! LISA!” _

Rosie takes her in-ear off, confused. She was wondering why they were screaming the name of her best friend - her fake fianc ée.

It’s only when the singer turns around does she realize why.

There, on stage, walking towards her, is Lalisa Manoban carrying the biggest, most beautiful arrangement she’s ever seen that covers the dancer’s whole torso.

Rosie covers her mouth in shock.

_ “Oh my god, what are you doing here?!” _ The singer’s still close enough to the mic that it picks up her exclamation of surprise.

Rosie couldn’t believe it. This cannot be real can it?

And just when Rosie is convinced that the whole evening was somehow conjured up by her mind in a dream and she’s not actually awake, Lisa gets close enough to her to put a hand against the side of her face.

The touch is real enough, warm enough, Lisa enough.

And then as Rosie thinks that Lisa is going in for a hug, she feels Lisa press her lips against hers in a kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what did yall think? :D


	5. If you kiss me, will it be just like I dreamed it?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The kiss. A celebratory dinner for a successful tour. A confrontation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is the last full chapter for this series :) thank you for joining me on this ride. i hope you all enjoyed it as much as i enjoyed writing it.

The shock of the kiss nearly makes Rosie fall to her knees.

The kiss is nothing like Rosie dreamed of. Mostly because never in her wildest dreams did Rosie ever think this would happen. She hadn’t even told Lisa how she felt.

This was entirely outside of the realm of possibilities in Rosie’s world. She didn’t even expect Lisa to be here tonight, let alone be carrying a bouquet to surprise her and kissing her in front of 7,000 people in Le Z énith, Paris.

The kiss is everything all at once - fireworks and explosions, the drop from the highest point of a rollercoaster turning her insides out, her world upside down. It has the impact of a meteor, crashing down on earth to wipe her out with all the firm softness of a gentle press of skin against skin.

Lisa tastes like an orchestra playing the big chorus and the sweeping crescendo on her lips, feels like a sonnet being recited wordlessly.

The singer feels so weightless at that moment - as if she’d somehow sprouted wings and took flight, as if she’s a kite being blown every which way by the winds, tethered only to the world by her love’s lips.

But the kiss also feels like a sigh, a release - something long awaited that she wasn’t even aware of - the first droplets of rain touching parched, cracked soil, the exact answer sought by her longing soul.

It takes everything in her not to crumble - to stand still.  But somehow she manages to hold herself up and any outward showing of how shaken she is manifests only in little trembles. Lisa’s hand is still warm against her cheek and the dancer has her eyes closed.

And Lisa keeps kissing her, moves her lips against hers. The dancer wraps her arms around her, bouquet and electric guitar smashed in between them, and caresses her in just the way Rosie felt like she needed to be held.

So Rosie kisses back.

She kisses back with everything in her, holds Lisa just as close and lets her confession be conveyed through touches and caresses and lips. She feels her breath leave her lungs in an exhale through her nose and instead inhale Lisa.

Everything Lisa - the scent of her, the warmth of her, sensation of her.

Rosie feels herself drowning.

It’s only when a voice comes through her in-ear that she’s pulled back and grounded to reality.

_ “Uh, um, Miss Ros _ _ é, you and Miss Lisa may now exit backstage,”  _ says the stage director awkwardly, clearly uncomfortable about having to break up such an intense reunion.

Rosie puts a hand against Lisa’s shoulder and uses the last bit of willpower and strength left in her to lean back.

She opens her eyes ever so slightly and sees that the entire dome is now dark, with the exception of a few stage lights providing guidance to the path backstage. She becomes aware of the continuous cheering of her fans, loud enough that it’s bleeding through her earpieces.

In the dark she sees the faint outline of Lisa’s face, of half-lidded doe eyes under bangs and slightly parted lips - gorgeous as she’s always been.

_ “We have to leave the stage.”  _ Rosie tells her.

Lisa just nods wordlessly and takes her hand.

The crowd doesn’t stop cheering until they’re long gone.

~

From the inexplicable foggy, hazy tranquility that enveloped the two of them onstage, Rosie and Lisa step into a crazy whirlwind backstage.

People are grabbing Rosie left and right - and Lisa, too, by default since to them she’s the soon-to-be-wife of the successful soloist who just finished the last stop of her sold out European tour.

Everyone backstage is hugging them both in congratulations or shaking their hands and patting their backs, Rosie especially.

The dancers smile and clap with immense pride, being the backdrop against which the singer-songwriter performed her more explosive numbers. The stylists and makeup team are happy that they’ve done their job well, allowing Rosie maximum mobility in her outfits no matter the stunts she pulled yet ensuring that she looked stunning all the while. The instrumentalists in the live band are the most vocal about their joy - hollering and whooping and lifting the comparatively tinier solo artist in celebration. The bodyguards and stage assistants watch it all respectfully, but celebrate with them nonetheless.

The star of the evening - Ros é - gets passed back and forth between people. She gets dizzy, but she laughs and squeals and basks in the celebratory mood and happiness all the same.

Lisa watches it all unfold before her, thinks of how the scene looks like a huge ballroom dance from one of those renaissance period films where they exchange partners - only this is more spirited and less choreographed. She shakes a few hands here and there and accepts all the hugs that come her way.

It’s Ashley who breaks it all up.

_ “Okay, okay, everyone, let’s not break my most talented soloist, now, and let her breathe, shall we?”  _ The manager says with a playful tone, chuckling. Lisa laughs, too, along with everyone else.

Rosie grins then throws her arms around her manager. Ashley returns the hug with a smile.

_ “Congratulations, my little all-around star.”  _ The older woman says with all the affection, leaning away from the embrace. The singer smiles so wide that it looks like she just might burst.

The way Ashley has treated Rosie like a little sister never changed over the years. If anything, the woman only grew more protective of her the more famous she became.

Lisa is happy Rosie has people like that in her life - people who would always look out for her and make sure she gets the best of everything.

Because that’s what Rosie deserves - the best of everything.

The sudden charge of energy from all the people backstage made Lisa forget what just happened a few moments ago, on stage. But now, watching Ashley speak to Rosie with such fondness brought back the memory of it.

The song. The emotion in Rosie’s voice. The feeling that overcame Lisa. And the absolute, unabashed need to just kiss her best friend, her fake fiancée - and quite possibly a girl she’d unknowingly been in love with for so many years.

The dancer swallows a lump that lodges itself in her throat. The realization tumbles down like a tiny tin ball down her spine, clanking and tumbling and pinballing against every little vertebra - rattling her bones - and then falls into the pit of her stomach. Her mind blanks. Her hands grow cold and clammy.

It’s only when Ashley calls her over that she snaps out of it.

_ “You,”  _ Ashley points at her playfully, and wraps an arm around her. Lisa returns the one-armed hug mechanically, the other hand still holding the bouquet that’s been smushed from the onstage kiss earlier.  _ “Miss Lalisa Manoban. You surprised me as well, tonight. I didn’t expect you to come, let alone pull such a public stunt like that.” _

Ashley winks at her and laughs. Lisa smiles.

_ “Honestly, I surprised myself too.”  _ Lisa says, absolute sincerity in her voice.

The real truth in the statement flies over Ashley’s head. But Rosie gives her a weird unreadable look. Lisa can only wonder what her best friend thinks about everything - the surprise appearance, the kiss.

_ “Aren’t you fully booked with shootings, though, Lisa? How ever will you manage to sneak in a long flight here and a long flight back?” _ Ashley asks, a little concerned. The manager knows all too well that the last thing a talent should be is overworked and stretched too thin.

_ “I convinced Jennie to move a few things around.”  _ Lisa smiles sheepishly, as if the amount of effort she’d give for Rosie is something to be embarrassed about.

Ashley raises an eyebrow.  _ “Knowing Jennie, you probably begged for it.” _

Lisa laughs. _ “Yeah, I did. I’ll have to leave and fly back tomorrow, probably eat lunch at the airport. But...”  _ Then the dancer looks at Rosie and holds her gaze, wanting to convey the truth of her next words and ensure that they land the way she needs them to.  _ “But I was missing this one so much, I just had to see her. Everything else be damned.” _

Rosie just looks at her. Ashley speaks up with a proposition.

_ “Well, how about a nice expensive dinner at a five star hotel with the whole team, then?” _

~

The dinner goes smoothly. Or so that’s what Lisa thinks at first.

It isn’t until dessert that Lisa notices how Rosie hasn’t actually spoken to her directly the whole night. Lisa thought it was expected, initially, since the singer had just finished an incredibly successful tour and she was rightfully the star of the evening.

But Lisa realizes that Rosie had been purposefully avoiding her gaze and feels a little too distant to her.

So Lisa tries to discreetly take Rosie’s hand under the table. But her attempt is rebuffed when Rosie pulls back with a little too much force, then, acting as if she was just calling a waiter, raises her hand for them.

The action has Lisa shaken.

Was Rosie mad at her for the kiss? Was the kiss too much? Was she wrong for doing it?

But wasn’t Rosie kissing her back?

The singer orders wine for the table, acting like nothing is amiss. Lisa knew, though, of course, and saw through it.

Tendrils of anxiety crawl up the skin of her back and cold fear grips the dancer’s heart.

Did Lisa just ruin their decade-long friendship? Did she somehow hurt the woman she just came to realize to be the person she loves most in the world?

The wine comes and Rosie drinks her a little too quickly. Not fast enough that she looks like a woman racing to get smashed for the night, but hastily enough that Lisa knows it isn’t how she normally drinks.

Rosie loves her alcohol and she tries to enjoy it. The singer seemed too thoughtful and did not look like she was enjoying the drink one bit.

Suddenly Rosie stands up. Unknown to Lisa, she’s been very aware of the looks the dancer has been throwing her way. She’s glad that it seems like everyone else hasn’t noticed her fake fiancée looking like a kicked puppy for half of the evening.

There was only so much she could take of it. She needed a breather.

_ “Excuse me, I have to go to the bathroom.” _

Rosie walks away from the table. Lisa stands up, too, seeing an opportunity to speak with her in private and not willing to pass it up. The dancer follows on Rosie’s heels.

The singer is well-aware that Lisa is following her to the bathroom. She really didn’t want to have some kind of confrontation tonight, seeing that she should be celebrating, but it was inevitable.

Rosie just hopes it doesn’t become too painful.

She checks if anyone else is in the bathroom with them when Lisa finally steps in. As if the universe allowed for them to have this time to talk, there was no one. So Rosie reaches behind Lisa to pull the bathroom door closed and lock it.

Lisa gulps. At the proximity of her friend and at the intensity suddenly behind her eyes. Her reflexes are triggered, and she braces for whatever is coming.

_ “What was that?”  _ Rosie asks. The question is all pointed daggers, said in a voice deadly quiet.

It makes Lisa tremble.

_ “What was what?” _ Lisa doesn’t mean to play fool, she really doesn’t. Not now, not when Rosie means business.

But it was hard to tell what Rosie was talking about and she wasn’t really the most eloquent under stress.

_ “Don’t play dumb, Lisa.” _ Rosie bites out. There is an angry fire in her eyes and Lisa knows it’ll burn her whole soon if she said the wrong thing.  _ “What was that? Why did you show up tonight with a bouquet, and…” _ Rosie stops herself, takes a few calming breaths. She was too angry. She shouldn’t be too angry. Not yet. Not when her best friend hasn’t even had the chance to explain herself.

_ “And the kiss… What was that? Was it just another prank you thought up while drunk?” Rosie finishes. _

Lisa searches Rosie’s eyes then, as she says the question. And then she finds what she’s looking for as Rosie takes slow steady breaths, and says her words haltingly.

There was anger and there was fire. But behind it all was this heavy, agonizing pain.

Lisa doesn’t know why the pain is there, but something tells her she caused it.

And just as Rosie would comfortingly tell her “yeah, I know” and understand whatever she meant to say, Lisa understands then, too.

Rosie has feelings for her. Lisa doesn’t know for how long.

But Rosie has feelings for her and her best friend had to play along with the fake engagement, thinking that none of it was reciprocated on Lisa’s end.

Rosie must have thought she was just playing with her. The dancer’s heart shatters.

_ “I meant what I said.”  _ Lisa says in quiet conviction.  _ “I missed you and I wanted to see you.” _

She takes a tentative step forward, into Rosie’s space. When the singer leans away, about to take a step backward, Lisa grabs Rosie’s arm with much more certainty than she managed to slip into her tone earlier.

Lisa isn’t a woman of many words. She has always been, and will always be a woman of movement and action.

And there was no better time to act than now.

_ “I meant it.” _ Lisa repeats, a hand coming up to gently cup Rosie’s face.  _ “I meant what I did.” _ The dancer looks down at Rosie’s lips, making her intentions clear. She looks back up into the singer's eyes, to see if Rosie was going to pull back.

She sees no trace of reluctance in Rosie’s eyes. Only hurt and expectation.

With a deep breath, Lisa hardens her resolve and hopes she can meet them.

“I mean this now.” The dancer leans in and whispers the words against Rosie’s lips, before closing in.

For the second time tonight, Lisa kisses Rosie. And Rosie also kisses back.

This second kiss feels different than the first. This was expected, this was something they both knew was coming.

But it was still no less groundbreaking and earth shattering.

Lisa still feels fire erupt under her skin, gets swept in the storm that thunders in her heart. She feels instinct guide her, feels her whole being tingle with familiarity that can only exist when a soul finds its mate.

She feels the string connecting her heart and anchoring it into Rosie’s vibrate with life, as if in joyous celebration that finally - finally - everything is  _ right _ .

Lisa feels like she could reach the stars. Like she only needs to hold her hand up and stand on her tiptoes to grab them and take them from the sky.

As if Rosie’s lips brought her closer to the cosmos, made her ascend up and outside of the earth, into the expanse of the universe.

Or maybe it’s Rosie’s kiss that brought the heavens down onto its knees, well within Lisa’s reach.

Either way, they press closer together, now, with nothing caught in between them. They are chest to chest, their arms snaking quickly around each other, both overcome with the need to  _ have more, feel more _ .

The kiss quickly deepens, becomes hungrier, needier. The softness of lips make way for the sensuality of tongues.

Rosie moans and Lisa swallows it with her mouth.

With a trembling hand and a shaky exhale, Rosie pushes Lisa back, just far enough to break the kiss yet stay in her embrace.

_ “Wait,” _ the singer says, breathing hard. _ “Just… wait.”  _ And then a big, dazed grin spreads across Rosie’s face. _ “Just need to breathe… Okay?” _

Lisa laughs for a reason unknown to her, catching her breath, too.

_ “Okay.” _

Rosie closes her eyes, rests her forehead against Lisa’s. They both wrap their arms more firmly around each other - Rosie around Lisa’s shoulders and Lisa around the other’s waist.

They hold each other like that for a while, just basking in quiet closeness, enjoying the feel of being held. Rosie speaks up first.

_ “So.. was that a confession?” Rosie asks. _

Lisa couldn’t help but throw her head back in loud, boisterous laughter. Of course, Rosie would ask that after what was probably the most intense kiss of both their lives, bar the first one earlier that night.

And just because she could, Lisa shakes her head.

_ “No, that wasn’t a confession.” _

A confused look passes through Rosie’s face and before it could evolve into doubt and worry, Lisa chooses to ease it.

_ “This is a confession: I love you Roseanne Chaeyoung Park.” _

Rosie breaks out into the biggest, happiest smile.

_ “Then, I need to confess something, too - I love you, Lalisa Manoban.” _

~

Lisa comes with Rosie to her hotel that night.

It was always part of the plan, though. She didn’t book a hotel for herself since she and Rosie always have sleepovers when they spend time together. Lisa just books a hotel for the bodyguard and the assistant that came with her to Paris to make sure she’s safe and unnoticed when she arrives and when she leaves.

But the air around them feels different that night. And understandably so. Their relationship dynamic has suddenly shifted from fake engaged best friends to potential lovers.

“Potential” because they didn’t exactly have the time to discuss everything in the restaurant bathroom before Ashley went looking for them and reminded them that they can do whatever they want with each other in their hotel room and not in a restaurant bathroom. The insinuation made both of them blush and look at each other awkwardly.

As much as the desire is there, there is also an unspoken need to take things slow. Everything has already been crazy since the fake engagement was announced. It would be nice if Lisa wasn’t constantly put in situations she didn’t know what to do.

And well, besides sleeping chastely with her best friend in either of their beds, Lisa didn’t exactly have any experience in the whole sleeping with other people thing.

She was too busy spending her late teenage years working as a celebrity instead of getting drunk and hooking up like normal kids.

And so did Rosie.

So that night, they lay facing each other on the queen-sized hotel bed, arms and hands and limbs respectfully in their own spaces.

_ “So, we should talk, huh?”  _ It’s Rosie who breaks the silence, as she is the better communicator between the two of them.

_ “Uh huh,”  _ Lisa agrees.  _ “We should.” _

_ “This is awkward.”  _ The singer laughs.

_ “I’m sorry,” _ Lisa apologizes, looking down.

_ “No, no, don’t be sorry!” _ Rosie reaches out and takes Lisa’s hand, rubs a gentle thumb across the back of it. _ “It’s not your fault. I don’t know what to say either.” _ The singer smiles kindly, then intertwines their fingers and pulls their hands up to her lips so she can place a soft kiss on the back of Lisa’s.

The small, sweet action unleashes butterflies in Lisa’s stomach, causing a fluttering in her chest.

Lisa sighs and closes her eyes, scoots closer until they’re forehead to forehead.

_ “No, you’re doing great.” _

She feels Rosie’s lips form a smile against her hand, feels her place a few kisses once more before she speaks again.

_ “That was my first kiss, you know? On stage.” _

Lisa’s eyes fly open.

_ “Your FIRST?” _

Rosie nods.  _ “Mhmm.” _

Lisa can’t believe her ears. There was absolutely no way.

_ “Not even a stolen kiss by a dumb boy in fourth grade?” _

Rosie laughs at how specific the question is.  _ “No. Never. I never got the chance before I became a trainee and after debut, it was just impossible to date anyone. You know that.” _

_ “Yeah, I know, but I thought you’d have experienced a dumb kiss in gradeschool or middleschool.” _

Rosie shakes her head. “ _ Nope. You’re the first.” _

_ “Holy shit.” _ Lisa mutters in amazement.  _ “I’m your first kiss.” _

_ “Mhmm.” _

_ “Wow.” _

_ “Not for a lack of suitors, mind you.” _

_ “No, yeah, I know. I met most of them. Still. Wow.” _

Rosie chuckles.  _ “Lucky you, huh?” _

Lisa looks at her, eyes softening. Then she comes closer and presses a quick, soft kiss against Rosie’s lips.

_ “I’m already the luckiest person in the world because you love me. This is just a bonus.” _

Rosie smiles.

_ “Now, when did you get so cheesy?” _

Lisa laughs.

_ “I don’t know.” _

The singer looks at her fondly.

_ “What made you fly all the way to Paris, bring flowers to my concert, and kiss me onstage?” _

_ “Hmm.” _ Lisa thinks for a moment.  _ “I don’t know, really. What I told Ashley was real - that I missed you so badly I had to see you and I was willing to do whatever to make that happen. It was Jisoo who gave me the idea, though.” _

Rosie nods, but her real question remains unanswered. So, she asks it directly instead.

_ “But was it because you were going to confess to me?” _

Lisa shakes her head.

_ “No, that part was totally unplanned. I didn’t even know I was in love with you until I was backstage listening to you sing.” _

_ “Oh.” _

_ “After the song, I just felt this… pull. I don’t know. I just felt like I had to kiss you. And when I did, I realized that I had feelings for you.” _

_ “In that moment? During the kiss?” _

_ “Mhmm.” _ Lisa nods.  _ “Just during the kiss.” _

_ “Wow.” _ Rosie exhales the word in wonder.

_ “Why?” _

_ “I realized I was in love with you the morning after the instagram post. Ashley was talking to me, and she told me that she should have seen that we were actually more than friends - that we were too clingy and too coupley.” _

Lisa snorts.

_ “Damn, Jennie should’ve said something like that to me instead of chewing my head off. Maybe I’d have realized my feelings sooner, too.” _

Rosie laughs.

_ “Well, if you did, maybe we wouldn’t have the memory of tonight.” _

Lisa looks into Rosie’s eyes and smiles.

_ “Yeah, maybe.” _

They let the truth settle over them, then. Perhaps it did take a long time before the two of them could get here, perhaps it took the most bizarre turn of events for them to realize the depth of their affection for each other.

But it was all worth it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there's an epilogue :)


	6. Epilogue

**SheMZ: ChaeLisa JUST GOT MARRIED! OFFICIALLY!** **  
** _ Posted February 2, 2025. Written by OhMez Hilt-under. _

**That’s right, folks! Your favorite iconic couple have finally tied the knot after a nearly five year engagement!**

**Lalisa Manoban, best known by her stage name “LISA”, tells SheMZ that they finally exchanged the long-awaited “I do”s in a small private ceremony with just their friends last night. The wedding was first announced via the dancer’s instagram account with a photo of the brides in white and sharing their first kiss as wives with the caption “just got married :)”.**

**The announcement came as both a shock and a relief to their fans and the world. After 5 years, everyone started wondering if the couple would ever get married or just stay engaged forever, but the moment we’ve been waiting for has finally happened!**

**And as promised, Lisa shares with SheMZ a photo of the official engagement ring she bought for singing superstar Rosé.**

**But wait, it’s not just one ring! Lisa proposed with a whole diamond jewelry set! She gifted her then fiancée, now wife, three rings with varying sizes of diamond, a diamond necklace, diamond earrings, and a diamond-studded watch.**

**Wowza!**

~

Jennie and Ashley eventually do find out that the engagement started as a prank.

Lisa gets too drunk on her wedding night and starts spilling the truth about it. Rosie had to get in between her wife and her wife’s manager to make sure she wasn’t widowed when she’d literally just got married a few hours earlier.

Jennie eventually calms down after a few vodka martinis.

Actually, Jennie passes out drunk.

Jisoo tells Lisa that she’s always known the dancer was in love with Rosie and that the singer returned her feelings, even before they both realized it.

It was way too obvious to anyone with eyes, Jisoo says. Ashley and Jennie agree.

They spend most of their honeymoon in Paris, the city of love - the same city where they first kissed and confessed their feelings for each other. The last few days, however, they spend in Australia, where Rosie grew up.

Rosie goes on to have more successful tours, and Lisa goes on to take over the world by storm, becoming one of the most famous dancers of her time.

Lisa adopts more and more cats over the years. Rosie names all of them.

And everything falls into place, just as the universe willed it for them.

They spend the rest of their lives together.

_ Fin. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you loved this story, consider sending me a cup of coffee at ko-fi.com/chaelisaff :) thank you!

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be a oneshot but oh well. I'll update regularly, don't worry. I'll update The Only, too. Hope you liked it.


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